I have left the World Series for four days to reclaim my family. (Never mind that I spent most of today playing poker online and watching updates from the WSOP coverage.) I played the $1500 NLHE event on Saturday, played it well, but busted when my K-K ran into a set on a 9-7-3 board. Cruel irony that the Pro Tip I wrote this week is about the power of small pairs.
I'm going to catch up on some of the things I noted at the Series; those will be separate blogs over the next few days. But here are a few things I want to note overall:
1. I'm very pleased with how I'm playing. I cashed in just one event but I thought I played extremely well in 4 of the 5. In the 4 in which I didn't cash, I made it past the dinner break in 2 and got waylaid with KK by 99 in a hand where I really don't think 99 had the odds to call my raise to hit his set. I played bad just once, in the 6-handed event, and other than that was very pleased with how I navigated the traffic in the early hours.
2. The Full Tilt Poker Strategy Guide tournament was, I think, a big success. Over 1200 played. The winner got, I think, $2600. The top 50 got autographed copies of the book. The people who watched me got to see me flop a set of tens and NOT go broke to a player who flopped a set of kings.
3. Allen Cunningham won his fifth bracelet in my absence. When Melissa Hayden heard that I was displaced from my hotel, she offered me both their spare room and a car. (I was safely in the Rio by then and Byron had replaced the window. But it was a wonderful offer.) Had I taken her up on it, who knows? Maybe I'd be swilling champagne and fighting with their terrier over the new piece of jewelry. (I communicated briefly with Melissa and told her to go off and celebrate with Allen. She said, "What celebration? Quick dinner and the Sopranos. There's another event to play tomorrow."
4. If you're keeping score of Harrah's good and bad points, I think you have to say they have moved into the positive column. With all the complaining that poker players do - me included - you've undoubtedly heard about the crummy playing cards they introduced and the ridiculous lines. But that's old news. Harrah's is doing a pretty good job running a couple events a day - up to 5 or 6 in some stage of competition - plus satellites, mega-satellites, and cash games, and there are not widespread complaints about cards, dealers, or registration. 3000 or more people a day in that room, starting before noon and running until 2 or 3 AM. I'm certain there are been individual complaints and gaffes. How could there not be? But things are overall running very well, and we better recognize that, because we're sure going to complain when they're not.
5. Among what seems to be "working" is the structure of the events. Has anyone noticed how LOADED the final tables have been with big names? The Split final table including Annie Duke, Chris Ferguson, Chris Bell, David Benyamine, and John Phan. Humberto Brenes and Marco Traniello have made 2 final tables. The Stud Championship final table included Phil Ivey and David Oppenheim. Allen Cunningham won, Gavin Smith has a second. A lot of other big names have made it to the end of events.
Do you think it's too late for me to get Allen and Melissa's spare bedroom? Or Clonie and Shannon's? Maybe even run a regular feature, where I make myself home for a night in the fancy digs of some of my favorite people in poker.
What do you think? Let me know at suicideking@fulltiltpoker.com. I'll be very busy during my time at home. I took lots and lots of notes of things I didn't get a chance to write, like my experience backing Shannon Elizabeth in her first-ever limit hold 'em tournament and the creepy security guard I sometimes see near the media center.
Stay tuned!
